Spring suspension for vehicles



May 24, 192?.

W. HESSLINKv SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES Filed Aug. 2, 1926 Patented May 24, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HESSLINK, OF ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LEROY F. FULLER,

OF SPRINGFIELD MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRING SUSPENSION FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed August 2, 1926. Serial No. 126,421.

The invention relates to an improve ment in spring suspension for vehicles and particularly to that class of vehicles equipped with springs extending parallel to and above th axle. It is more especially intended for use on motor vehicles of the Ford type but not limited strictly to Ford motor vehicles. The invention may be applied to any vehicle whether motor driven or otherwise propelled to which the inven tion may be adapted.

The Ford motor vehicles have certain standard equipment to Which the present invention may be applied.

in the ordinary construction of the spring suspension for Ford vehicles. the spring comprises a single member of the semielliptic type extending parallel to and above the axle and is connected by means of shackles to spring perches secured to the axle. These shackles are ordinarily loosely connected at both ends being connected at one end with the perch and at the other end with the eye of the spring. This is ordinarily the case with tbc shackles at both ends of the spring. that is. on each side of the car. This loose comiection makes them free to move on their phots. and therefore permits the body of the car to sway sidewisc on the running gear. thus making the steering ditlicult. This swaying motion is especially prcniou nsed at sharp turns in the road and not only makes steering ditiicult at those places but also exerts a strong end thrust on the bearings. ()ne object of the present invention is to prevent side body sway in the vehicle and thereby make steering easier by providing a spring suspension at the front of the vehicle having a fixer shackle or shackles connecting the spring with the axle at one end of the spring and movable shackles at the other end of the spring. Other objects of the invention will be clearly pointed out in the following specification.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a vehicle of the Ford type equipped with a spring sus pension embodying the invention, unnecessar v parts of the vehicle being omitted.

Fig. 2 is an ei'ilarged section taken on line 2-2. Fig. .l.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views in front and side elevation respectively of one of the fixed shackles ei'nployed at one end of the spring suspension.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the shackle shown in Figs. ii and t.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 3. 4 and 5, at ll is shown a shackle embodying the inventitm which is to constitute the fixed shackle. This is prefeiabl made of steel in the form of an angle plate and comprises a substantially horizontal flat portion o and an upwardly ezc tending portion 12 at right angles thereto as shown in side elevation in Fig. l but extending at a slight angular inclination to the horizontal portion (a as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The horizontal portion a has a bolt hole and the upwardly extending portion c has bolt holes d and 6 located near its up per end and at. a slight distance apart from each other. The angular relation of the two portions o and o of the shackle is such as to properly register the bolt holes I) and (I with the bolt holes in certain portions of one of the standard spring perches such as hereto fore emptoyed in the construction of Ford motor vehicles and the distance between the holes of and c is preferably equal to the distance between the holes in one. of the standard spring shackles of the Ford type. This relative position of the holes is to enable the invention to be applied to use so far as is possible with the standard parts of the Ford motor vehicles as now constructed so as to avoid the necessity of making special parts more than necessary.

The three holes Z), (1 and c are of proper size and relative position to receive the three bolts such as are now used in assembling one end of the standard spring suspt-uision, The manner of their application in the construction shown in the drawings as embodying the present invention will be hereinafter more fully described.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, at l5 there is shown the body and at R the running gear of a standard Ford motor vehicle equipped with a front spring suspension embodying the invention and extending transversely of the car and parallel to and above the front axle 12. At 13. 13 at the opposite ends of the axle there are shown two spring perches each of which is of standard construction having a bolt member 11 formed inte ral with the perch extending vertically downward from an angularly ofiset upper portion (3. In the ordinary assembly. however. of the parts in Ford cars the perches are so positioned that the angular portions (3 ot the two perches at the opposite ends ot the axle will be inclined toward each other. In the method of assembling in the construction embodying the present invention. the said perches are positioned so that they will be an clined away from each other as shown in Fig. 1. It

The special vtorm ot shackle en'ibodying the present invention already described is employed only one side of the vehicle, that in connection with one end of the spring. and the ordinary shackle such as is shown at 16 is QlllplQVttl at the other end of the spring. It is immaterial at which end the fixed shackle is located. In the drawings the special form of shackle is shown at the left-hand side as viewed in Fig. l. and the ordinary spring shackle 16 is shown at the other side of the vehicle. It is understood that there are a pair of these spring shackles 16 parallel with each other at one end of the spring but only one is shown in Fig. 1 as the two would be shown only in side view. The said shackles 16 are secured in the ordinarv way. that is. are pivotally secured at their lower ends to the perch 13 by a bolt 21 and at their upper ends as at 22 by a bolt passing through the eye of the spring 11'. At the other end of the spring on the other side of the vehicle. a single spring shackle 11 is etnl'iloyed instead of a pair of shackles of the ordinary type 16 already described at the right-hand end. In assembling this shackle 11 with the perch and spring the nut- 18 which is screwed on the lower end of the bolt member '14 of the perch (1 should be removed and then the shackle 11 should be so positioned that the horizontal portion (1 comes up against the bottom of the axle 12 with the lower end of the bolt member 14 passing through the bolt hole 7) and the nut 18 is: again screwed on to the lower end of the bolt l-l. thus securely clamping the shackle 11 to the axle. The upright portion c of the shackle extends upwardly against the forward face of the axle or adpicent thereto and inclines outwardly toward the end of the axle as shown in Fig. 1. i\ bolt 7 which may be the same kind of a bolt as ordinarily used for attaching the standard shackles to the perch is then passed through the hole (I in the portion c of the shackle 11 and through the hole in the upper end of the perch 13. said two holes being in alinenaent with each other after the shackle has been positioned as previmisly described. A not 23 is then screwed onto the end of the bolt 7 thereby securely clamping this portion of the shackle 11 to the perch. The eye 24 at this end of the spring 17 is then brought into alinenient with the hole c in the upright portion c ot' the shackle 11 and a bolt 8 which may be similar to the ordinary bolt for clamping the spring to the standard shackles is then inserted and the nut 21' screwed onto the end thereof to clamp the parts together. The shackle 11 will thus be held rigid. with out any movement, whatever.

By reason oi' the perches 3. 13 being inclined away from each other instead of toward each other as in the ordinary assembly heretofore described, the spring 17 Will necessarily have to he a little longer than it the said perches were inclined toward each other. assuming that the bolt holes in the axle to receive the bolts of the perches are located as in the ordinary standard construction. lt will be seen that the perches at both ends of the spring suspension are of standard construction only reversed in direction ot inclination as already described. also that the loose shackles at one end are of standard eonstrtn-tion. At the opposite end of the spring suspension the ordinary standard shackle is replaced by the single shackle 11 which is rigidly connected with the axle and the perch and the only new parts required a re the specially constructtal spring shackle 11 and the spring member 1] which is of similar torm and construction as the standard type s n'ing. but longer. The spring 17 is attached to the body Z; by the same means as heretofore employed as indicated at in in Fig. 1.

lly the form of construction above described. the spring 17 at one end still has a. loose connection with the perch by reason 0! the pivotal connection of the shackle 16 at that end but at the other end of the spring the shackle 11 immovahly fixed by reason of its rigid conneti-titm with the axle. This prevents side swaying ot' the body of the vehicle and also makes the steering much easier than heretofore. Furthermore due to the fact that a longer spring member 17 is en'iployed. the riding qualities of the car are i net-eased,

'hat I claim is:

l. A spring suspension for a vehicle having in combination with an axle. a spring extending transversely of the body of the vehicle. a shackle having one end secured to one end of the spring and a perch having a bolt portion which rigidly secures the other end of the said shackle to the a. :le the other end of the spring having a loose connection with the axle.

2. A. spring suspension for a vehicle having in combination with an axle a spring extending transversely of the body of the vellt) hide, a shackle pivotally connected at one end with one end of the spring, and having at its other end an arm which extend-n adjaeent the axle, a perrh rigidly mounted on the axle, means for rigidly rennet-ting one end of said pert-h with the axle and with said adjacent. arm ol the shackle. and means for rigidly ronnei-ting the other end ol aaid perch with the shat-lite intermediate the axle and the spring.

3. A spring suepenaion 'l'or vehirlee having an axhg a apring having: at one end thereof a lixed fillnl'lilo (t)tl1l)l'lHllt3 an angle har having; a horizontal aria thronggh whit-h the liolt of a pert-h pin er; to serure the shaelde rigidly to the perrh and axle. the other arm extending npwardty aliove the axle and secured to one end oi the wring: the other end of the i'i!1;,;' ha vir lowze e'ha-i'ltle connection with a pert-h mounted on tllt' axle.

l. A spring snspension tor vehi-lei-z hav ing an axle, a spring having at one end thereof a tixed ehavlde eta;- an angle bar having one arm rigidly the axle? the other arm ot mid tending upwardly ahove the and ae- L'tll'Hl to one end ot' the eprinn; the other end of the eprinp havinga loose vhru'lde ionnection with the axle.

5. A spring euapennion lor vehielen havan axle a spring? having at one pint thereof a fixed ehai'lile roinpri ing an an le har having a horizontal arm through wlneh the holt of a pereh paaaes to werure the eaid Filttlt'llt rigidly to the pert-h and alien the other arm ot' said angle l-ar ("\ttlltlltlj-j npwardly ahove the axle and eerured to one end ol the spring" the other end ol the apt-inn having a looee Hlltlt'lilt ronnertion with a perrh mounted on the axle. the lttlt'llth at hoth ends ot the priup; heinfj upwardly in- Cllllttl away from earh other toward the ends of the axle.

6, A spring euspeneion for Vehicle i-onnerted with nharltle r1- :iXlv

hit v ing; an axle a spring having at one end thereof a. lixezl shackle comprising an angle bar having a horizontal arm through which the holt of a perch passee to secure the shackle rigidly to the perrh an axle, the other arm of maid angle har extending upwardly ahove the axle and serured to one end of the spring. tho other end of the spring having a looae shackle eonnertiou with a pert-h mounted on the axle. the pert-hen at both ends of the spring being upwardly inolined away from each other toward the ends of the axle, the upwardly extending arm of said tixed shat-hie twin; also int-lined outwardly toward the end of the axle.

T. A spring; suspension for a Vehicle havin in roniliination with an axle. a spring extending tranaversely ol the body of the vehwie hove the axle a ntnn-kle eonaisting of an angle l)t!t' having; a horizontal arm hearing ttfi'ltlliFtt the undereidt'i ot' the axle and an upr'gyid arni extending upwardly adjznent one side t'rn-e of the axle. a lttl'tll having a bolt portion whit-h panties down through a hole in the axle and through said horizontal arni ot the shat-Idea a not on the end of said loolt nieniher whirh i-lainps the said horizontal arm to the a ile and rigidly se -urea the said ehavhle to the axle. the upwardly extet'nlil'lg arm o l the said shai-ltle living formed with two holt hohw': one above the other. a bolt. whit-h passe; through the. upper portion of the pert-h and throu ggh one ot naid holes in the tllitt'lilt and is provided with a out there l=y rigidly Plumping the peri-h to the upper arm of the Hlltttlilt and a holt which pneees tin-m lt the other hole in the upwardly tending arm and through an eye in one end of the spring: and means for holding" said last holt in oper; live i-onnet-tion with the ahaekle and spring.

In testimony whereot l afiix my signature.

\NILLIAM HESSLI NK. 

